The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1887-08-26
West Point

North and east the Point is hemmed
in by the mighty river, west and south
by the rock-ribbed Highlands. The
plateau, little by little, has been leveled
and graded, until to-day it is broad,
beautiful, grass grown plain, bounded on
the west by the cosy homes of the OF him {,
and professors, on the south by
stately barracks, the grim, old fashion
Academic the Grecian chapel. ali
the domed turrets of the Library. Skirt
ing the precipitous river banks, a broad,
graded road encloses the plateau on the
north and east, and others, as level and
carefully kept, border it on west and
south, and nearly biseci italong the meri-
dian. Covered with well-cropped turf,
the western half of the plain is de-
voted to infantry drills; the batteries
and the crunching houfs of the horses
arc limited to the gravel of the eastern
half. All around are tie rocky heights,
trimmed with pine and fir and cedar,
with here and there peep at the stony
parapet of some old redoubt or battery
thrown up in the days of the Revolution
The square built hostelry, once and for
years known as Roe's, stands perched at
the northeast limit of the plain. Statues
in bronze or marble CLEAN here and there
amid the foliage, and tell of deeds of
heroism and devotion on the part of the
sons of the old academy. The tall white
staff glistens against the dark background
of the Highlands, and throws to the
breeze, high over all, the brilliant colors
of the Stars and Stripes; and on the
easternmost verge of the broad plateau
lies the camp ground, the summer home
of the Corps of Cadets.
Laid out in mathematical regularity,
with weli-graveled pathways, sentry
posts and 'color-line," and shaded BY
beautiful trees, the encampment, like
everything else at West Point, is so ex-
quisitely trim and neat as to leave little
resemblance TO the 'tented field as seen
IN actual service on the frontier The white
tents CLEAN in accurate ranks as though
they were pitched by aid of the straight
edge rule. Farthest to the west are the |
guard and visitors tents; then comes an |
open space between them and the color |
line, along which the arms are stacked |
every bright day. 1t is in this space
the camp ceremonies-guard mounting, |
dress parade, and the weekly inspections |
take place. Immediately behind the
color line are the tents of four companies,
two inward facing rows to each, with
broad alley, known as the general
parade" separating the right and left
wings. The company streets run east
and west perpendicularly to the color
line, and the tents of the cadet officers
are pitched looking west along the
streets of their respective companies
Behind the rows of company officers
tents, and opposite the right and left of
camp, are the larger domiciles of those
cadet magnates, the adjutant and quar-
termaster Back still further are the
double tents of the four army officers who
are immediate commanders and instruc-
tors of the four companies: and behind
hem all, at the rear of camp, is the big
marquee of the Commandant of Cadets.
Dotted about the rear of camp are the
little tents occupied by the drum boy
'orderlies, =" the blacks, varnishers,
tic, and around them all, day and night,
PAGES the chain of sentries, which, posted
n midi June, is never removed until the
simultaneous fall of every tent on the
18th of August.-HdrPsrs' MagaziHe.